The Broken World

Gr 8 Up—Portal fantasy gets the Hollywood treatment in this sequel to The Marked Girl. Los Angeles is in chaos after Liv, Prince Cedric, and Cedric's betrothed Kat opened portals to the magical realm Caelum in order to rescue Liv's brother and the Royal Families from Malquin and his army of monstrous wraths. Back in L.A., Liv's friend Shannon and Cedric's cousin Merek have to contend with earthquakes, orange skies, and a string of murders. Liv and her friends need to find a way to save Caelum, stop Malquin, and prevent L.A.'s destruction. Like many blockbuster films, Klingele's conclusion to the duology is action-packed, with a convoluted plot, copious car chases, too many characters, and a weak ending. There are holes in the plot's all too convenient resolution. The novel's strength is its protagonist. Liv is a realistic and ordinary Earth girl—vomiting upon seeing blood, fawning over her brother, and remaining fiercely loyal to her social worker—despite the strange circumstances. The secondary characters, however, lack development, and chapters focusing on them crawl forward. Other characters are introduced and dropped pages later. Klingele substitutes death and magic for interpersonal connections.